


Socialis Amor

by shadowtraveled (meteorfest)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, M/M, Multi, also author is totally doing this because her friend encouraged her, author's friend should stop encouraging her, political stuff that author may or may not be bullshitting, there may or may not be hints of stollico
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-17
Updated: 2014-01-18
Packaged: 2017-12-20 10:30:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/886199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meteorfest/pseuds/shadowtraveled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an attempt to unite the camps, the gods call for a marriage between one Roman and one Greek. When Percy and Reyna are declared to be wed, neither of them are exactly thrilled, but given time, they discover a connection between them and learn that love is not a destination, but a journey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has actually been bouncing around in my head for a while, but it's only now decided it was going to be a fanfic. This will probably be updated between Shades updates, so it'll be sporadic, but hopefully, it'll get finished. Cedar will never forgive me if I don't get plenty far in it, at any rate.
> 
> Also this is kind-of, sort-of a collaboration with Cedar, since she's been helping me plot most of the details, so blame her.

Tensions were running high at Camp Half-Blood and, for once, it wasn't because of an impending battle. The fighting seemed to be over now, with Gaea defeated, the Athena Parthenos restored, and the two camps now working together, attempting to mend the rift between their societies. Representatives from each camp had swapped places, the Greeks learning about the Romans and vice versa, for a week, a month, or longer. Among those representatives were Reyna, Octavian, and Dakota.

Reyna had left her new partner, a young man named Marcus, in charge of Camp Jupiter while she was away, and had all but forced Octavian to come – unwilling to let him out from under her supervision; she hoped that serving as a representative would teach him something. Dakota had volunteered to come along, hearing that his father was at Camp Half-Blood and that he had a younger half-brother there.

Jason and Hazel had both elected to stay at Camp Half-Blood as well, wanting to be close to their friends. Frank had sacrificed himself to close the Doors of Death, leaving young Hazel devastated and the only ones who could cheer her up were her friends, the other five surviving heroes who had defeated Gaea, and her brother. She seemed to be on a slow recovery from the blow of her boyfriend's death, if the occasional smile was anything to judge by.

A total of twenty Romans had come to Camp Half-Blood, many of them the same Romans who had come to attack not all that long ago. Though the battle had ended with minimal casualties on either side, the fact that they were there did not sit well with some of the Greeks. Reyna had no doubt that the Greeks that had gone to Camp Jupiter – among them, Leo, Annabeth, and Clarisse – were having just as much difficulty amongst the Romans. She'd told Marcus to keep things under control and she trusted Annabeth to help him do just that, but every day, she half-expected a message from him asking her to return.

It had been nearly three weeks since the representatives had switched places and there was little progress in uniting. The two camps had worked together best in the final fight against the giants that had attacked Camp Half-Blood in the middle of the battle between the camps. Now, it seemed, the camps worked together only during the Capture the Flag games on Fridays. The rest of the time, minor skirmishes between Greeks and Romans had to be broken up.

Something needed to be done.

* * * * *

It was Thursday and the demigods at Camp Half-Blood were beginning to relax again. Tomorrow, they'd ease the tension during the weekly Capture the Flag game. In the mean time, they'd save their energy for it. A few of the Romans had already started to devise new plans, using tactics from their war games to their advantage against the Greeks. Octavian was already proudly proclaiming that the Romans would crush the Greeks.

“Doesn't he ever get bored of doing that?” Piper asked, sprawled on her stomach with her feet in the air behind her as she plucked at the grass underneath her, her eyes on the augur.

“Who, Octavian?” Jason arched a brow from where he sat next to Piper. “Nah. He's been like that since he was twelve, when he was first made augur. He's not gonna find it boring any time soon.”

Piper rolled her eyes. “Figures.” Jason had told her what Octavian had been like before, when the two of them had been friends. Though he hadn't told her what had made the other boy change, she figured it had to do with the power Octavian had gained. Heaving a sigh, the daughter of Aphrodite rolled onto her back, looking up at the bright, clear blue sky. “He's just going to make things worse. Why is he even here?”

“Do you really think it would have been a good idea to let him stay at Camp Jupiter, where he could rally hundreds of legionnaires against the Greek reps?” Jason knew Reyna had insisted that Octavian come to Camp Half-Blood to keep him from doing just that. It was a good move on her part, even if it meant dealing with Octavian instigation feuds here. “At least if he's here, he's outnumbered and nowhere near as bold as he'd be back home.”

Piper bit her lip, hearing the way Jason said the word 'home'; it was a subtle, but clear reminder that Jason wasn't staying at Camp Half-Blood permanently. He'd told her that he would stay with her, leave Camp Jupiter to be with her, but in the end, had admitted that he couldn't do that, after all. Camp Jupiter was ultimately his home and he had his loyalties. They'd reached an agreement, though, that Jason would come to Camp Half-Blood as a representative for a couple of months, then Piper would go to Camp Jupiter as a representative. It wasn't entirely what Piper had wanted, but what she'd settled for.

At least they'd be together.

“He's still not helping matters,” she said, turning her mind back to the present conversation. Octavian, whether he was tamer here than he'd be at Camp Jupiter, was still causing difficulties. They were never going to get the camps fully united if he kept this up. “Can't you do something about him?”

Jason shook his head. “I'm not a praetor anymore.” Reyna had stripped both Jason and Percy of their titles as praetors after they'd fled New Rome and would not re-instate either of them. She'd appointed Marcus as praetor, more or less, to keep Octavian from snatching the position. “As he'd love to crow over my head if I tried to do something about him.”

Piper wrinkled her nose. “Can't I charmspeak him again? That worked so well before.”

A small smile crossed Jason's lips, tugging at his little scar. “It would only fuel his rallies.” He leaned over and kissed Piper's forehead. “Let it go for now. We'll show him during the game tomorrow who'll really be victorious.”

Piper gave a smile of her own. They'd definitely take Octavian down a peg or two tomorrow. Maybe once that happened, the number of fights during the rest of the week would go down.

* * * * *

“Canceling the game won't solve anything,” Reyna told Percy. The two of them, as camp leaders, had been trying to figure out a way to get their respective camp members to sort out their differences. Percy's suggestion, reluctant as it was because he enjoyed Capture the Flag as much as the next person, was no good. “We take away their outlet, we'll just have more fights on our hands. We need to come up with something that will bring our camps together.”

“What do you suggest, then?” Percy asked. He wished Annabeth was there, instead of at Camp Jupiter; she'd come up with some kind of plan. This was not his area of expertise. “We've tried the campfire sing-along, we tried an archery tournament, the race didn't go well, either.”

Reyna gave a shrug. “Tomorrow marks the third week we've been here and, while there's been fights, there've been no casualties. We could hold a feast to celebrate.” She shifted from the seat she'd been half-sprawled over, sitting upright now. “No one, Roman or Greek, can turn down a feast.”

“We'd have to clear it with Chiron and Mr. D,” Percy pointed out.

“Lord Bacchus is the patron god of parties,” Reyna countered. “Chiron, as I understand from my conversations with him, would be happy to approve something like this, if it were to help bind the camps together. Let me talk to Lord Bacchus while you talk to Chiron. I'm sure we can get approval.”

“And if we don't?”

“If we don't, I say break the rules a bit and have the party anyways,” Reyna smirked. “After all, this is for the sake of the camps and our families.”

Percy knew, now from experience, that Reyna would do anything to protect her family, whoever was part of that family. She was a daughter of Bellona through and through; a fighter for what she considered home, be it a place or a person. He gave a nod and stood up. “I'll go track Chiron down and see what I can do.”

With that, Percy left and headed in search of the centaur that ran the camp. Reyna stood and re-adjusted her orange camp shirt from where it had ridden up before heading off herself. She had a god to convince and, knowing Lord Bacchus, it wouldn't be easy, even if he was the god of parties – among other things. She did have at least one thing to her advantage, though.

The fight against the Greeks just a few weeks ago had ended when Gaea's own forces had entered the fray, forcing the two warring sides to work together. In that battle, Reyna had saved the life of one of Bacchus' Greek children, the one named Pollux. The boy had been cornered by a trio of monsters that Reyna hadn't been able to identify at the time. She'd swooped down with Scipio and helped the boy out, pulling him onto her pegasus' back. The two of them had worked together to take out the monsters, then rallied another group of demigods against one of the minor giants that was attacking.

Having saved Pollux's life, Bacchus – presenting himself as Dionysus – had spoken to Reyna, offering her a rare show of gratitude. He hadn't come out and said it, but the god had implied that Pollux was his only remaining child on the Greek side and that, by saving him, Reyna had gained favor in his eyes.

She'd certainly gained favor in Pollux's eyes, that was for sure. The son of Dionysus was clearly fond of her, both impressed by her skills and just a little intimidated by her reputation. He claimed a debt to her for saving his life and, while asking him to help her convince his father to approve the party was a small favor, she didn't think he'd turn it down. Though he might also claim it wouldn't cover his debt.

She found him at the strawberry fields, using his power over the vines to help some late blossoms bud. “Pollux, may I speak with you?”

Pollux turned, confused at first – because people rarely came to talk to him, many of them thinking that he was much like his father and didn't like other people – but when he saw it was Reyna, the boy gave a smile. “Hello, Miss Praetor,” he said. “Speak your mind.”

Reyna told Pollux the plan she and Percy had come up with. Pollux was one of the few she knew that actually wanted to get along with the Romans and refused to take part in the fights between the two groups. From what she'd heard from Dakota, Pollux was friendly, enthusiastic, and generally a good guy, so she had high hopes that he would be willing to help in the plan.

She was not disappointed. “Sure!” Pollux grinned. “Dad's not going to say no, as long as we keep things under control.”

Reyna couldn't help a smile of her own. “You've never been to a Roman feast, have you?”

“Nope.” Pollux gave a shake of his head, still grinning. “Let's go find my dad. He's probably playing pinocle with the satyrs. If he's winning, he'll be in a good mood for asking.” He boldly reached for Reyna's hand to lead her to where he had no doubts his father would be. “This way.”

Back in Camp Jupiter, no one would have been so bold as to grab Reyna by the hand. Even at Camp Half-Blood, most people wouldn't dare, considering Reyna's status as a camp leader, a praetor. The only ones who did were Hazel, Percy, and now Pollux. Even Jason didn't dare treat her as just a normal girl, a friend. She suspected it was because of Jason's girlfriend, but didn't voice this thought; if Piper wanted Jason all to herself, she could have him, as far as Reyna was concerned.

She had better things to think about than fighting over a boy.

* * * * *

Word got out fast. By the time dinner rolled around, everyone knew that Chiron and Dionysus had approved the party and they were all looking forward to it. By bedtime, it was all anyone talked about. Reyna had been right; no one, Greek or Roman, was going to turn down a party and feast.

Friday was spent in anticipation as always, though most everyone was focused on the feast that was promised for dinner that night. The Ares cabin still focused more on the Capture the Flag game to follow, but even they looked forward to the feast. Octavian's attempt to rally the troops for the game faltered and eventually fell flat because no one was paying attention to his plans anymore; in a camp full of mostly teenagers, food overtook precedence over most other things.

By the time the feast actually started, it was hard to imagine anyone in the camp fighting over anything at all, except for the last drumstick on the plate. With food piled high, drink replenished frequently, music, and chatter, the feast was by all means a celebration and it was in full swing. Dionysus had, a bit exasperatedly, allowed the campers to mingle and swap tables - “Just this once, mind you!” - which let everyone really get to know each other.

Reyna sat at the Poseidon table with Percy, Hazel, Nico, Jason, and Piper. Her seat was as far from Jason and Piper as she could manage without being apart from the group. Percy sat across from her and, over dinner, he grinned at her, making it clear that he was glad she'd made the suggestion of a feast. Reyna smiled back at him, glad they'd gone ahead with the suggestion.

“For once we might have actually made some progress,” Piper spoke up from the other end of the table. “This is better than any tournament or race. People are actually sitting down and talking with each other.”

“It worked last time, remember?” Hazel pointed out, her voice soft. “Up until the incident with the Eidolon, the feast at Camp Jupiter went fine, just like this.”

“This time, we don't have any Eidolon to worry about,” Reyna said. She lifted her cup and took a sip of her drink. “There's no warship over our heads, no war on the horizon. The only thing after this is the game that we've all agreed is part of the celebration; a friendly game among allies.”

“Those have _always_ gone well,” Nico muttered, remembering the previous few games, as well as the match against the Hunters of Artemis that had been his first game.

“Don't be a spoilsport, di Angelo,” Percy told his cousin. “There's nothing to worry about.”

Never let it be said that the Fates didn't take up a challenge when they heard one. Before Percy could actually finish his sentence to take a bite of the brownie he'd grabbed from his plate, a wind picked up in the dining pavilion. Demigods and legacies alike looked around and soon caught sight of a figure hovering in the air by the head table, legs crooked beneath him with a pair of winged sandals holding him aloft. Hermes, after swiping the can of Diet Coke from his younger half-brother and taking a swig, greeting the campers heartily.

“Great feast, isn't it?” he asked, grinning widely. “It's nice to see everyone getting along! How is everyone?”

Stunned silence answered him. It wasn't normal for a god, besides Dionysus, to just appear at Camp Half-Blood, anymore than it was normal at Camp Jupiter. For Hermes to show up like this, there had to be something going on and it made a lot of the campers apprehensive. It especially made those at Percy's table nervous; things had been going so well until now.

“Before you all get so anxious, I'm not here to be the bearer of bad news,” Hermes told the assembly, giving them all a rather put-out look. He crossed his arms over his chest and it almost looked like the god was pouting. Only a smack to his calf from Dionysus got the messenger god back on track. Hermes cleared his throat and looked to the demigods in the dining pavilion. “Those of us on Olympus commend you for the last three weeks of cooperation. We believe that, after thousands of years, the two sides of our family may finally see true reconciliation.”

Percy and Reyna exchanged glances, then looked among their friends at the table with him. A silent question hung in the air between the small group: so why was Hermes there? It couldn't be a simple 'Congratulations! You're finally getting along!' message from the gods. Something was up.

“It's been decided, though,” Hermes continued, “that you need a bit of a helping hand. In tradition with ancient times, we've decided that a marriage between the Greeks and the Romans is in order.”

 _That_ got attention, of all sorts. There were shouts of protest, shock, questions of the legality of such a marriage, and, above all, the Aphrodite kids and their one Venus-born sister, were screeching their excitement – marriage, even one decreed by the gods, was something they were all excited for. With the exception of Piper, who was cringing at the decibel of her siblings' screams.

Hermes raised his hands for everyone to settle down. “No decision has been made on who the marriage will be between,” he explained. “All demigods and legacies of at least sixteen years of age are eligible for this arrangement, unless, of course, they're a Huntress.”

There was a mutter from the Hermes table, one of the older girls making a promise to join the Hunters immediately if she was chosen for this marriage. Hermes merely smirked and continued his announcement. He pulled a teddy bear out from apparently no where and tossed it to where Octavian was sitting amongst his Greek relatives.

“Our decision will be made tomorrow morning,” he informed the augur. “You know what to do.”

Octavian caught the teddy bear, ignoring the looks from the Greek children of Apollo; he knew they weren't huge fans of his methods, but he was a Roman and his methods were the Roman way. The barest smirk was on his lips. This was an interesting turn of events.

Hermes arched a brow at the augur, a subtle reminder that Octavian himself was actually eligible, being seventeen years old. Octavian shrank back a little, but managed to keep his movement small enough that most people wouldn't notice. Hermes gave a nod and dusted his hands off.

“Well, I've done my job!” he declared. “I have errands to run and _you've_ got a game to get to!”

Hermes flew off at a quick speed, waiting until there was a good distance between him and the dining pavilion before disappearing in a flash of godly light. Once he was gone, the campers burst into a loud discussion.

A _marriage_? It was _insane_!

Piper voiced it at the table with the others. “They can't do this! What if the ones they choose don't _want_ to be married?”

“Do you really think that matters?” Nico asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “Thetis didn't want to marry Peleus. Aphrodite didn't want to marry Hephaestus. Persephone didn't want to marry my father.”

“Marriages like this aren't out of the norm,” Reyna pointed out. “This is a political marriage, for the good of the two sides involved. It's not uncommon in New Rome.”

“This _isn't_ New Rome!” Piper countered. A part of her was outraged that Reyna would support this. “This _isn't_ uncommon here! The gods can't just decide that two of us are going to marry 'for the good of the two sides involved'! That takes away the choice of whoever has to get married!”

“It might not,” Jason cut in. He took Piper's hand to try to get her to calm down. “Marriages like this don't always go through. Whoever's chosen will have the choice to accept or deny the marriage. There's a time frame for that choice to be made, usually.”

“A month,” Reyna added. “Usually.” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned forward, propping her arms on the table in front of her, where she'd pushed her plate aside at Hermes' arrival. “The chosen bride and groom have a month to publicly acknowledge and accept the match. That's _if_ this is going to be done the traditional way.”

Admittedly, Reyna was a little apprehensive about this decree. The gods would choose carefully; there was no way they'd pick a match that would deny the marriage at the end of the given month. If this marriage was to unite the two camps, surely the gods would pick one Roman and one Greek who would go along with their scheme in the end.

Knowing the few who got along, Reyna had the sinking feeling that she was going to be watching Jason marry Piper. As much as she tried to consider Jason's feelings, as much as she tried to acknowledge that he'd chosen Piper, Reyna still felt pained that her love for the son of Jupiter wasn't returned. She didn't think she could watch that marriage. It would be far too painful.

Reyna stood from her place at the table and excused herself. She didn't want to be there right now, not with those thoughts in her mind, not when Jason was talking to Piper about the traditions of arranged marriages in New Rome. She didn't even want to take part in the Capture the Flag game that everyone would be going to shortly to try to get over the shock of Hermes' announcement.

Right now, she just wanted to be alone. She left the dining pavilion and headed for the cabins. When the Roman representatives had come to Camp Half-Blood, many of them had just been sorted into the cabin that represented their godly parent's Greek form. In Octavian's case, he'd been offered a bed in the Apollo cabin, being a descendant of the sun god. Geordi, a second-generation Ceres legacy, stayed with his aunts and uncles in Demeter's cabin.

Reyna, her mother being fully Roman with no Greek counterpart, had her choice between the semi-crowded Hermes cabin, the rowdy Ares cabin, or the Athena cabin, on Annabeth's invitation. She'd ultimately chosen to stay with the Athena kids, enticed by the library cabin six had to offer. As she entered the cabin, Reyna went over to the shelves of books and pulled down a couple to act as a distraction from the current events.

When the others returned from the game, Malcolm – head counselor of the cabin while Annabeth was at Camp Jupiter – signaled for his siblings to be quiet as they got ready for bed. He came over and gently pulled the book that Reyna had fallen asleep over from under her cheek and covered her with a blanket.

* * * * *

The next morning, everyone was more than a little shocked to see the Greek delegates who had been at Camp Jupiter sitting at the dining pavilion for breakfast. As Annabeth explained to Reyna, Hermes had shown up at dinner in his Roman form, a few hours after his announcement at Camp Half-Blood because of timezones, and made the same speech to the Roman camp as he'd made to the Greek camp. Everyone had gone to bed after the weekly game, just as they had at Camp Half-Blood.

All the Greek representatives were still in their pajamas, having been taken from their beds in the various cohorts they were sorted into for their stay at the Roman camp and deposited in the dining pavilion. None of them were quite sure how they'd gotten to Camp Half-Blood, but it was highly suspected that Hermes had something to do with it.

In any case, they were there. Annabeth was anxious to say hello to Percy, but dutifully remained at her cabin's table, since Dionysus was not budging about the seating arrangement as he had the previous night - “I told you brats, _just that once_.” Reyna sat next to her, both of them sharing a sense of dread about the upcoming declaration from Octavian, though they each had different reasons.

“Do you think you'll be chosen?” Reyna asked the daughter of Athena.

“I don't want to be,” Annabeth replied. “I know it's a possibility, but I don't want to be chosen.” She didn't have to say why. They both knew the reason was Percy. “Do you want to be chosen?”

Reyna hesitated. “I don't know. It would be a honor to bring peace between our camps, but...” But she knew she'd have to give up a lot if she went through with it. “It's complicated.”

Annabeth gave a nod. “Hopefully this ends well.”

As the last demigods filed into the pavilion to take their seats, Octavian stood up, proudly toting the teddy bear Hermes had given him the previous night. His eligibility for this marriage be damned, he was going enjoy being the bearer of the news; he found it unlikely he'd be chosen and it would probably be some sucker that would be taken out of his way. At the head table, invited by Chiron to stand where everyone could see him, Octavian pulled out his ceremonial dagger and cut into the stuffed animal, laying its fluff across the still empty table.

Apprehension filled the air as Octavian leaned in close to the fluff, hands on the table's surface with his nose practically shoved into the pile of fluff. The sinking feeling that Reyna had felt the previous night returned with a vengeance, her stomach in knots as she glanced towards Jason, sitting alone at the table for his father. The son of Jupiter, though sitting upright and attentive, showed miniscule signs of anxiety that Reyna only spotted because she had known him so long; his lower lip was pulled slightly into his mouth on one side, Jason biting the flesh in his mouth.

Jason was nervous? Reyna was a little surprised by that; if anything, Jason should be the last person worried. The gods could easily pick him and Piper to be married, a match already made between the Romans and the Greeks. Why would he have reason to be nervous about that?

Reyna didn't get to dwell on the thought. Octavian chose that moment to stand upright, a smirk over his lips that told more than anything else that he was quite relieved and pleased with the decision the gods had made.

“The will of the gods is told!” the augur proclaimed. He hefted the fluffy entrails of the teddy bear into the air in one hand. “The match is decided!” His eyes swept over the crowd of demigods, seeing the attention purely on him. Even dryads and satyrs had come to the dining pavilion to hear the decision. “The ones to be wed, on whose shoulders the two camps rest - ”

Reyna's stomach sank as Octavian set his gaze on her, his smirk a clear sign that he saw his opportunity in this telling. She held her ground though, refusing to let the legacy of Apollo see any weakness, any sign that she did not want this. She would not give him that pleasure, even as he finished his announcement:

“ - are Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, daughter of Bellona, and Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *casually drops off update and sidles out while doing jazz hands* Yoooooo.

**Chapter Two**

It was _supposed_ to be an honor. To be chosen by the gods themselves to act as a bringer of peace between two groups of demigods who had been fighting for centuries, anyone else might have jumped at the opportunity. Marriage had been used as a way to signal the end of a feud for a long time. Marriages were still often arranged in New Rome between family-run businesses to ensure rivalries didn't rise up or to end such rivalries.

This wasn't a marriage about business politics. It wasn't even a marriage to settle disputes between rival families. The gods had declared this marriage would help end the centuries long feud between their Greek and Roman children. So much hung on the balance and the match was supposed to unite the camps. The gods had chosen a pair to marry to bring peace.

Reyna could understand their logic in picking two of the camp leaders, but had it really been necessary to pick her and Percy? Don't let it be said that the daughter of Bellona didn't think Percy was good-looking or that she didn't consider him a friend, but that didn't mean she wanted to _marry_ him. Honestly, at this point, a marriage between her and Percy would probably bring more harm than good. Couldn't the gods just have picked Jason and Piper and get it over with?

Despite her earlier thought that she wouldn't want to see Jason marry Piper, Reyna was pretty sure she'd actually prefer that to marrying Percy.

The announcement had come several hours ago now and Reyna wanted nothing to do with the zealous discussion that had erupted in the camp afterward and was, in fact, still going. She'd escaped to the Big House, where Chiron had kindly offered her sanctuary in the living room. She was sprawled out on the couch now, one arm draped over her face as she contemplated her options.

She had a month before anything was set in stone. According to tradition, the final decision was to be made by the chosen bride and groom, who had a month to accept or deny the match. Until then, nothing was decided. Reyna could very easily deny the marriage, if she felt it was really wasn’t going to work, but there was her camp to think of at the same time. If she said no, what would that mean for the tentative truce between the camps? What would it mean for the war that had only recently been averted with the return of the Athena Parthenos?

There was really too much riding on this sudden marriage announcement. Reyna also wasn’t the only one who had decisions to make regarding the announcement. She was going to have to talk to Percy about it eventually. She’d also have to talk to Annabeth, but considering the gods had basically just betrothed her to the daughter of Athena’s boyfriend, that conversation was not going to be easy for either party. Reyna was seriously considering asking if she could move into the Hermes cabin, since she had the feeling that Annabeth would not want her in the same cabin after the announcement.

“Great, I make a new friend for the first time in over a year and the gods say I have to marry her boyfriend,” Reyna muttered, flipping herself over and planting her face into the cushion of the couch. Maybe if she just smothered herself here, she could avoid all the drama that surely lay ahead of her.

A knock sounded off to the side and Reyna lifted her head to see Percy standing in the entrance to the living room. The son of Poseidon had his knuckles resting against the door frame, his other hand tucked into his pocket. His lower lip was sucked into his mouth, though it popped back out when Reyna looked up at him. 

“Hey, Reyna,” he greeted her, trying to sound casual. “So I guess we need to talk?”

“I’d really rather not,” Reyna admitted. She sat upright, running her hand through the strands of her hair that had fallen loose of her braid. “I’d rather ignore everything and pretend this didn’t happen, but that’s hardly an option.”

“Pretty much,” Percy agreed. He moved over and sat down next to Reyna, though he left plenty of room between the two of them. He leaned forward, propping his arms over his knees, wringing his hands together. “Never thought this would be how the camps would be united.”

“Neither did I.” Reyna pulled her legs up to her chest, the balls of her feet against the edge of the couch as she tangled her fingers in her braid. “On the one hand, it _does_ make sense. It’s an ancient tradition in almost every culture. On the other hand - ”

“ - we both had other plans for our lives,” Percy finished. 

Silence fell between the two friends, Percy looking down at his hands and Reyna picking her braid apart slowly. This proposed marriage threw a wrench into all the plans both of them had, though Reyna was sure that Percy had much more planned than she did. At most, Reyna had wanted to go back to Camp Jupiter, finish up her service to New Rome, then maybe travel for a while before settling down. Never in her wildest dreams did she envision marrying for the sake of her camp.

“So what do we do now?” Percy asked, breaking the silence. 

“We have a month,” Reyna told him. She heaved a sigh and uncurled her body, sitting upright again. “I think we should take advantage of that to really think about it. It’s our right to make the decision to go through with this or not.”

“Are you sure? The gods aren’t really known for weddings where the couple had any say in it.” Percy wrinkled his nose and brought one hand up to count. “Thetis didn’t have a choice. Aphrodite didn’t have a choice. And there was that girl who had to marry a guy because he tricked her into reading a marriage oath.”

“Cydippe,” Reyna supplied. When Percy arched a brow at her, she waved her hand. “I read, you know. That’s one of the stories Circe had us read to turn us against men when Hylla and I lived on Aeaea.”

“Oh.” Percy bit his lip for a moment. “At any rate, the point stands that we might not have as much of a choice as you might think.”

“I never pegged you as someone who caved to anyone’s will, Percy.” Reyna turned to the son of Poseidon. “As much as I’ve been told about you, I never would have thought you would knuckle under just because the gods have a history of not giving people a choice.”

“I’m not!”

“Could’ve fooled me, Jackson.” Reyna gave Percy a playful shove and grinned at him, making it clear that she was teasing him. Even with the gods’ plan making things awkward, they were still friends. 

“I’ll have you know, I’ve never knuckled under for the gods,” Percy told her.

“Neither have I. Which is why I say this is still, ultimately, our decision. The gods can choose someone else to marry off if we decide it won’t work out.”

Percy smiled at Reyna. “Sounds fair to me.”

Of course, just because Reyna and Percy had a plan, it didn’t mean the gods didn’t have their own.

* * * * *

Reyna spent most of the rest of the day trying to avoid as much drama as possible. There were already people who were upset by the match Octavian had announced that morning, most of them Greeks who had only last year celebrated Percy and Annabeth becoming a couple. More than one child of Aphrodite had given Reyna a dirty look, as if she had willfully chosen to marry the son of Poseidon.

She returned to the Athena cabin to retrieve her things, certain by now that sleeping in the same cabin as Annabeth would simply be uncomfortable. Reyna valued her friendship with Annabeth greatly. She'd even go as far as to say the daughter of Athena was her best friend these days. The thought of their friendship ending because of this ridiculous arranged marriage hurt her a lot and there was no doubt in her mind that Annabeth, herself, was hurting. 

Upon reaching the Athena cabin, Malcolm took her aside to speak with her. The son of Athena was more or less the second-in-command of the cabin, taking charge whenever his sister wasn't there to do it herself. He had told Reyna before that he didn't really feel comfortable as a leader and took the position only out of a sense of duty to his siblings and Reyna respected him for that, even found it admirable. 

“Annabeth isn't here right now,” Malcolm told her. “She and Percy are out at the lake. I want to make sure you know that you're still welcome to stay here. It's not like you've done anything wrong.”

“I know,” Reyna replied. “I want to consider Annabeth's feelings. If I were her, I would not want my boyfriend's betrothed sleeping in the same room as me.”

“I know Annabeth can be kind of jealous, but she won't begrudge you a place to stay just because the gods decided you and Percy should get married.” Malcolm pushed his reading glasses from where they were steadily slipping down the slope of his nose. “Trust me, I know my sister. She might be upset about this, but she knows this wasn't your choice.”

Reyna arched a brow. “Has _she_ told you this?”

Malcolm nodded. “She asked me to pass the message that you're still welcome to stay, if you came by while she's out.” 

“Well, that's a relief.” Reyna hadn't really been looking forward to staying at the Hermes cabin. Knowing that she was still welcome in the Athena cabin eased some of her worries. “I'll have to thank her later, when she returns.”

Reyna turned away from Malcolm, intending to retire to her bed to relax and read her book. The rest of the Athena kids were filing out of the cabin to head for the archery range and Malcolm invited her to come along, though she politely declined. Picking up her book, Reyna reclined on her bed, curled up on her side with her head propped up on her arm as she opened to the page she'd left off on.

“You misunderstand the circumstances concerning the proposed marriage, young praetor.”

Reyna looked up from her book to see a woman standing at the foot of the bed. The woman wore a beautiful gown of blue that gradually faded from the color of the sky on the warmest summer day to the deepest indigo of midnight. Her black hair was gathered in an elaborate style, plaited with gold threads. Over her shoulders rested a cloak of goatskin. Reyna sat upright and bowed her head in respect.

“Lady Juno,” she greeted before lifting her head to look at the goddess. “What do you mean?”

“I should think I was clear,” Juno replied. She gave a wave of her hand. “The rest of the Olympians and I debated on our choice to have you and Percy Jackson marry. There was quite a lot of arguing over the match. Aphrodite was reluctant to break her favorite couple up, but even she agreed that, for the marriage, the best match would be you and Jackson.”

“May I ask why? Why the two of us?”

Juno gave a slight smile, lips tight. “Why, because of all the Greeks and all the Romans, the two of you have the most chance to successfully unite the camps. Who better than the son of Poseidon who led the Greeks to victory in the Titan War and the daughter of Bellona who fought her way to Greece to bring the Athena Parthenos back to the Greeks? The two of you are the greatest leaders either camp has had in centuries. Both you and Percy Jackson have the desire and determination to keep your camps, your _homes_ , safe, no matter what the cost. That is why we chose the two of you.”

Reyna had to admit that it did make sense. While she and Percy both questioned why they had been chosen, while she had wondered if it would have been better for Jason and Piper to marry, the gods had their reasons for choosing the two of them. She couldn't even bring herself to argue their reasoning because it was true; Reyna would do anything to keep her home safe. That was why she'd forgiven and trusted Percy when he'd come to Camp Jupiter. It was why she'd confided her worries in him, why she had so gladly accepted him as her new partner when he'd been elected to praetor. 

Maybe she and Percy really were the best choice, even in spite of the complications that came with the decision. There was no doubt there would be contention because Percy and Annabeth were such a celebrated couple at Camp Half-Blood, but if the gods believed Reyna and Percy could do this, shouldn't everyone give it a chance? Reyna and Percy had already agreed to do so and, if it didn't work out, they'd let someone else take their places.

“They can't,” Juno spoke up. “Take your place. This marriage _will_ be between you and Percy, Reyna. You _must_ make it work out. We are counting on the two of you to make this work. You will have the month before the marriage to work out the kinks, get to know each other, but you _will_ be married to Percy Jackson. It is up to the two of you to decide whether to go into this marriage willingly or not.”

“That's hardly fair,” Reyna pointed out, though she knew there was no point in saying it.

“You have read our stories, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano. You know the tales. Pray tell, when have we ever been _fair_?”

Reyna didn't respond, knowing that Juno was waiting to make a snide comment. When it was clear that Reyna would not give the opportunity, the goddess gave a regal shrug and turned away. For a moment, Reyna thought that the conversation was over, but then Juno turned back to her, with her lips quirked up on one side in a smirk. 

“Fair or not, Praetor, this marriage is for the best, for your camp, for this camp, and for the future of our legacy. We are giving you the month to make yourself comfortable with the idea. Come the Kalends of October, you and Percy will be married and the union between Greeks and Romans symbolized through you.”

Reyna gave a nod of understanding. It was actually a little over a month until the Kalends of October, with it being the last few days of August now. That gave Percy and Reyna the whole of September in addition to the rest of August to prepare themselves for the future that now lay ahead of them. It was still pretty sudden, neither of them believed they were ready to marry, but they at least had _some_ time. 

“And what if the marriage _doesn't_ work out, even if Percy and I work at it?” Reyna asked. 

“It will.”

Juno seemed confident in her words and Reyna didn't really care to argue. There was little point in it. Like with every other wedding dictated by the gods, there was no choice, as Juno had made clear. Regardless of Reyna's feelings, thoughts, and opinions on the matter, the gods had decided that she was going to marry Percy and that was that. 

“May I ask for one thing, _Juno Pronuba_?” 

Juno turned her attention to the young praetor again, brown eyes softening from their usual fierceness and a gentle smile crossing her lips. “Because I like you and you are respectful, Reyna, I will listen to your request.”

“If Percy and I have to get married to unite our camps, we do it on our own terms,” Reyna told the goddess. “It won't just be because you and the other gods told us we had to do it. He and I will spend the next month before the Kalends getting to know each other and coming to terms with this betrothal, without the intervention of the gods.”

Juno's hands moved to rest on her hips. “A bold request, Praetor, asking for us not to intervene with our own arrangement.”

“Surely, a month without meddling in the affairs of mortals is no challenge for you.”

Lips quipped into a rather strained smile. “Impertinence does not become you.”

“I think it becomes me very nicely,” Reyna countered, crossing her arms over her chest. After everything she'd been through because of gods and their plans, she figured it was high time she got to be a little impertinent. 

A curt laugh escaped the goddess. “This only further proves that you and Jackson are a good match,” she informed Reyna. She shook her head and extended her hand. A set of rings materialized in her hand, Imperial gold circlets with intricate laurel leaf bands, one slimmer and set with a small, but perfect, violet gem. Juno dropped them into Reyna's hand. “You and Jackson will wear these to signify the engagement. I will see you on the Kalends.”

With that, Juno disappeared, leaving Reyna alone in the Athena cabin with a pair of engagement rings.

* * * * *

“You can't possibly want to go through with this,” Annabeth told her boyfriend. She sat on the beach by the lake, knees drawn up to her chest. “It's ridiculous and stupid, this plan to marry for the sake of the camps.”

“I'm not saying I _want_ to go through with it,” Percy pointed out. He'd told Annabeth about the conversation he'd had with Reyna earlier, about how they'd decided that they'd take the month to think it over. Annabeth hadn't been all for the idea. In fact, she hadn't been for the idea in the slightest. “Annabeth, it's not that stupid. This kind of thing has worked before.”

“It's _stupid_ because you're actually _considering_ it!” Annabeth retorted. She unfurled her body and pushed herself up, absently brushing the sand from her shorts. “You'd consider marrying Reyna because the gods said you have to, after everything you and I have been through? All the plans we've made?”

“Annabeth, that's not - ”

“You could have said no. You could have refused. I _thought_ you _would_!” Annabeth's voice rose with every word and that final 'would' echoed over the lake. She looked at Percy with hard grey eyes that shone with tears she refused to let fall. When she spoke again, her voice had lowered to its normal level. “Percy, I love you. I've put up with a lot when it comes to you. I've braved the horrors of Tartarus for you. I love you so much and the fact that you're even considering going along with this arranged marriage makes me realize that I love you more than you love me.”

“That's not true, Annabeth!” Percy protested. He reached out and put his hands on Annabeth's shoulders, trying to keep her from turning away from him. This was _not_ happening. “I love you!”

“Not enough to defy the gods for me, obviously.” Annabeth shook her head. “If you loved me as much as I love you, you wouldn't even hesitate to say no to this whole ploy.”

“Annabeth - ”

“Just _stop,_ Percy!” Annabeth shouted, pulling harshly out of Percy's grip. She stepped back a couple long strides away from him. “You'd throw yourself into Tartarus for me, but you wouldn't even fight against this marriage for me. I knew the gods could be cruel, but I didn't expect you to go along with them. Good-bye, Percy.”

Percy's heart pounded in his chest, a jackhammer against his sternum. No, no, no. “Annabeth, please!” he pleaded. “This might not even work out! We can still be together, the gods can choose someone else!”

He couldn't let Annabeth walk away. He'd gone through just as much as she had before they'd gotten together, had faced Tartarus with her, made plans to spend his life with her. This marriage dictated by the gods was just one more hurdle to jump over, wasn't it? Surely, they could get through this! Percy and Reyna could break off the betrothal and things could go back to normal. That's what they'd said they could do, what they'd decided they had the right to do.

Just, please, don't let him lose Annabeth!

“You're _missing_ the _point,_ Percy!” Annabeth shot back at him. “The point isn't that it might not work out, it's that you would give this whole thing a chance to start with! You say you love me, but you'll still consider marrying someone else? I can't deal with that, Percy! _That's_ why it's over.”

Having made her point clear, Annabeth turned on her heel and left. She didn't run, but she walked off quickly, long strides taking her away from Percy. The son of Poseidon was left standing at the lakeside, his heart having sunk to his stomach and a lump forming in his throat. Annabeth was out of sight within moments, climbing the hill towards the circle of cabins. Percy hated to think it, but he had the feeling that he wouldn't be seeing her again anytime soon.

He'd promised her once that he would never let her go and, now, that's exactly what he'd done.

* * * * *

Despite Juno having given her the rings and told her that she and Percy were to wear them, Reyna wound up holding onto the rings, keeping them safely locked away in the foot locker she'd been provided with when it was decided she'd stay in the Athena cabin. Annabeth had eventually returned to the cabin and Reyna didn't need to be told that the other girl was upset, more than she'd been when Reyna and Percy's names had been announced as the so-called lucky ones to be wed. Annabeth had wordlessly stormed over to her own bed and thrown herself down.

Reyna hadn't dared intrude, having the sinking feeling that Annabeth's outing with Percy had not ended well. She'd wisely hidden the rings so Annabeth wouldn't see them and, when the daughter of Athena recovered and came over to talk to her, kept quiet about her conversation with Juno. There was no need to make things between them worse than they already were; while Malcolm had assured Reyna that Annabeth wasn't mad at her for something she'd had no choice over, Reyna refused to push her luck.

“I'd like your permission to return to Camp Jupiter,” Annabeth told her, moving to sit next to Reyna. Her voice sounded strained, like she was doing everything in her power to keep it steady. “I know I just got back because the gods brought me here with the others, but I was scheduled for a tour at the university. I have to go back and re-schedule now.”

“Annabeth, you don't have to ask my permission,” Reyna replied. She reached out and put a gentle hand on Annabeth's shoulder. “As far as I'm concerned, you're free to come and go as you please. If you want to go back, it's fine by me. But can I ask you something?”

Annabeth gave a silent nod, tensing slightly, as though prepping herself for whatever question Reyna had in mind. Reyna knew she had to tread carefully. While Annabeth wasn't the type to wear her emotions out in the open, the daughter of Athena definitely had tells and Reyna had already seen that the other girl was in a fragile emotional state.

“Will you keep in touch?” Reyna asked. “I want to remain friends with you, no matter what happens. I haven't had a friend in a long time and I'd hate to lose you because of this. I know it won't be easy, for either of us, but I'd like to try.”

Annabeth managed a small smile. “Yeah, I think I can do that. I mean, yeah, it's not going to be easy. You're basically engaged to my ex-boyfriend now.”

“Ex?”

“That's why I came back so upset. I broke things off with Percy.” Annabeth let her gaze drop to her hands as her fingers tangled over her lap. “I love that idiot so much, but...well, it's better this way.”

Reyna gave a frown. She knew better than that. It wasn't better this way. Annabeth loved Percy and letting him go had never been an option for the daughter of Athena. Breaking things off with him had to have torn Annabeth's heart in two. 

“I'm so sorry, Annabeth,” she told her friend. She leaned over and put her arms around the other girl. “I wish it hadn't been him.”

Annabeth's body trembled and when she spoke, her voice was shaky. “I wish it hadn't been him, too. I wish he'd said no. I wish he'd fought. But he didn't.” She turned towards Reyna and wrapped her arms around the Roman girl in return, hugging her tight. “Promise me you'll take care of him.”

Reyna could barely nod, her chin against Annabeth's shoulder. “I will.” 

Annabeth exhaled, her breath hot against Reyna's neck. “Thank you.”

“Take care of yourself, too, Annabeth,” Reyna said. She pulled out of the hug, though she kept her hands on the other girl's arms. “I won't tell you that old 'you'll find someone new' cliché, but don't let your pain destroy you. You're stronger than that. Stronger than I am.”

Annabeth gave a small laugh. “No way. You're the one who, despite all the pain you've been through since Jason disappeared from your camp, still led your people for almost a year on your own, did everything in your power to keep your troops from attacking my camp, crossed the Mare Nostrum on your own, and brought the Athena Parthenos here to end centuries of war. You're the strongest person I've ever met, Reyna.”

A smile crossed Reyna's lips. “I guess we'll have to agree to settle for being equals.”

Annabeth's smile matched Reyna's. “That's why, if I had to watch Percy marry a Roman, I'm actually glad it's you. Even if it hurts to let him go, better it be to you than to someone I didn't think could handle him.” 

“You don't have to come to the wedding, you know. If it's too painful for you - ”

“We'll see,” Annabeth said, voice quiet. Her hands returned to her lap, fingers twining together again. “I don't think I could handle it, as I am right now. But there's a month to go. We'll just have to see how things go.”

Reyna nodded. “Until then, I hope you enjoy your stay at Camp Jupiter. I can put a good word in for you at the university, if you want.”  
“I'd appreciate it. Especially since they probably won't think well of me for missing the tour they scheduled especially for me, even if it was because the gods transported a lot of us here without notice.”

So maybe their friendship wasn't in nearly as much danger as Reyna had thought it had been. Annabeth, while upset and pained, honestly didn't blame Reyna for what happened. There was definitely going to be a few bumps down the road, but there was still a chance their friendship would still work out. The two girls hugged once more before Annabeth stood up and invited Reyna to join her for a quick spar at the arena before she pestered Butch to take her back to Camp Jupiter. Reyna readily agreed, more than ready to work off the tension she'd been feeling ever since Octavian announced her name.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, okay, it's ridiculously overdue, I am so sorry. Life and other writing projects took precedence, but I'm hoping the next chapter comes out sooner!

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter will have more dialogue; this one was mostly set up. I wanted to establish the plot and will focus more on the reactions next chapter. Also, it should be fairly obvious that Laurentia is just my chosen surname for Reyna (it's in honor of the woman who adopted Romulus and Remus in Roman mythology). Once Riordan gives us her official surname, I will be changing it.


End file.
